Beware: WhatsApp video calling invite may be a scam

WhatsApp recently launched the much-awaited video calling feature for Android, iOS, and Windows Phone platforms. However, users have started to receive an unverified fake link on WhatsApp. The link prompts you to click on an invite, which prompts you to activate video calling functionality. Users who are no aware of the consequences are sharing the link among their friends and groups.

According to WhatsApp sources, the invite link circulating on the web asking you to activate video calling are fake. Moreover, if you click on the link it could potentially expose your smartphone to harmful attacks.

In the meantime, the unsolicited invite link has gone viral by duping users. The message provides wrong information by stating that only people with an invitation system can enable WhatsApp video calling. You will view a link and a message, which prompts you that you can activate video calling only if you click on the link.

If you accidentally click on the link, you will be taken to another page that will prompt you to invite more friends on WhatsApp. It also mentions about the existence of an exclusive group named WhatsApp video calling. However, there is no such group provided by the company. We can confirm that the site appears to be phishing since it asks for user details. It will also download the malicious app.

In 2015, the Facebook-owned company rolled out an invite system when it introduced the voice calling in phases. It seems that few scammers are trying to take advantage of the invite system by sending messages, which can affect the phone to a large extent.

After learning from the paste mistakes, WhatsApp has automatically enabled the new feature via updates from the relevant app stores. Hence, if you are using WhatsApp, you should verify whether video calling is available by selecting the call icon on the top navigation panel. If you can see video calling option, then your phone is automatically updated on the backend.

You should note that the video calling feature will be rolled out via OTA update to all WhatsApp users. The company has not provided any invite system. You just need to navigate to Google Play, App Store or Windows Store to check for an update manually.